The use of radiation energy in medical treatment equipment and methods remains a relatively new and expanding area of technology. However, certain applications of radiation energy are well known in the medical field. Of particular interest is the use of the radiation energy generated by a laser beam. Laser energy has been utilized for a variety of medical applications ranging from the relief of pain and stiff joints to the acceleration of the healing process and the reduction of scarring and ulcers of the skin. The former applications require exposing the treatment area to an amount of low level laser energy in a process commonly referred to as photo-stimulation.
As the name suggests, the purpose of photo-stimulation is the stimulation and promotion of cellular material growth. The latter applications require the application of larger amounts of medium to high level laser energy, in another process commonly referred to as ablation, wherein the laser energy results in significant removal or destruction of the targeted tissue. Photocollagen regeneration is another non-ablative laser treatment modality wherein, wrinkles and stretch marks are reduced by the biological tissue response to certain types of laser radiation whereby there is of an increase in vasodilatation, ATP, and collagen production.
Each treatment regimen requires different radiation energy wavelengths with different absorption characteristics to be most effective for a specific result or treatment. Due to the different energy level and wavelength requirements between the photo-stimulation, photocollagen, biostimulation and ablation processes, separate laser energy sources and exposure apparatus are typically employed to perform each treatment process.
To date, control of the amount of energy to which biological tissue is exposed has been less than precise. This is due in part to the variable nature of the laser energy sources, as well as the variability in the biological tissue to be exposed, specifically, the interaction between the absorption characteristics of a specific wavelength within the electromagnetic spectrum in relation to the various properties of the tissue being irradiated. In addition, the variability of the composition within the biological tissue to be exposed, specifically, the differences in the absorption characteristics between the various components of the tissue (i.e. the types of cells, organelles, organs, etc.).
With regard to laser energy sources, the main variables are the radiation energy output, the time of exposure, and the contact area, which define the energy density at the point of exposure of the biological tissue, and the radiation energy wavelength. For example, a laser which generates a particular radiation energy output, may generate that energy at any one of a number of different energy wavelengths. The energy wavelength is, at least in part, a function of the base material or materials utilized to generate the laser beam.
Although the same radiation energy output may be generated by different laser beams, their usefulness for a particular medical application may be widely varied. This is due to the fact that different energy wavelengths affect biological functions in different ways. Therefore, not only must the treatment area be exposed to the correct amount of laser energy, the energy wavelength must be appropriate for the desired effect to be achieved.
In addition to the variability present in laser energy output and energy wavelength, perhaps the most critical variable in the medical application of laser beams, and among the most difficult to accurately control, is the energy density at the point of exposure of the biological tissue. The energy density is typically defined in terms of either milliwatt-seconds per square centimeter (“mW-s/cm2”) or joules per square centimeter (“J/cm2”), wherein one thousand milliwatts times one second equals one joule, and as indicated, the energy density represents the quantity of energy imparted to a specific area. Thus, the energy density is defined by the combination of the energy output of the laser beam, the time of exposure and the size of the area of biological tissue exposed to the laser beam, which is further a function of the distance of the laser beam from the surface exposed.
However, modern medical laser treatment equipment often employs a wand-like device which is moveably positioned and directed at an area of biological tissue by the laser operator. Even in the hands of the skilled medical laser operator, however, the distance and angle between the discharge end of such wand-like devices and the surface exposed are not precisely maintained, therefore, the area exposed to the laser energy often varies. This variability in the area exposed results in a variable energy density to which the biological tissue is exposed. Further, even when a fixed laser beam is employed, control of the area exposed is difficult and imprecise.
First, the patient must be positioned the exact and correct distance from the laser beam to define the area of exposure, which is difficult to do with precision due to the distance between the laser beam and the patient. In addition, the patient must be positioned such that the area exposed is at the correct angle relative to the fixed laser beam, again being difficult to do with precision due to the distance between them. Further, even assuming that the patient is placed at the exact and correct distance and at the exact and correct angle from a fixed laser beam, the patient must remain in that exact position for the duration of the time of exposure.
As may be appreciated, the control of the area exposed, and thus, the energy density to which biological tissue is exposed, by either of the above techniques is difficult at best. Indeed, partly for this reason, known systems are configured to only treat very small areas, making the procedures very time consuming and as a result, more susceptible to error.
Therefore, it would be desirable to provide a single apparatus for performing photo-stimulation, and/or ablation laser treatment having a variety of radiation energy sources to provide low, medium, and/or high power laser beams. It would also be advantageous to provide an apparatus for performing photo-stimulation, biostimulation, photocollagen stimulation, and/or ablation laser treatment having a variety of laser beam sources to provide a range of energy wavelengths which may be utilized for a variety of different treatments, either separately or simultaneously. Another benefit would be to provide an apparatus that permits the precise control of the radiation's beams properties. By providing a means to precisely control the properties of the radiation beam and by controlling the energy density at the point of exposure to the biological tissue this apparatus allows for higher wattage's, greater variety of treatment modalities and larger treatment areas to be employed, while providing a safe, accurate and effective method of performing radiation energy treatments.
Furthermore, it would be helpful to provide an apparatus having an operative unit significantly reduced in size to permit greater ease in employing the apparatus and thereby increasing the safety, accuracy and effectiveness of the method for performing radiation energy treatment with the apparatus.
While there is prior art that exists regarding the use of laser therapies in medical conditions, no one has described or suggested an apparatus that can emit either a single wavelength or a plurality of individual wavelengths wherein the wavelengths can either be utilized individually or combined into a single therapeutic beam of radiation and can control said radiation's absorption properties, energy density, and depth penetration, so that a practitioner skilled in the art can perform either, photo-stimulation, photocollagen regeneration, or a plurality of therapeutic biostimulating treatments on a variety of different types of tissue, with the same apparatus.
Furthermore, no one has described an apparatus that incorporates a device that comprises a collector with a reflecting lens that collects and then redirects the scattered and reflected radiation back to the site of treatment while utilizing either a single collimator or multiple collimators that are targetable and focusable and that include an adjustable focal length mechanism that emit coincident visible and infrared radiation, that can either intersect inside the targeted tissue or deploy in series upon the tissue, wherein the infrared radiation has a wavelength of approximately 1100 nm.